Britain has lost the greatest number of jobs in Europe in the first three months of the year, according to new research out yesterday. Eurofound, an EU body that monitors employment, said the number of "announced" job losses in the 27 member states was just under 220,000 between the start of 2009 and March 31 - 63,330 of them in the UK.

In its European Restructuring Monitor (ERM) report, Eurofound said that Britain was followed by Poland, which suffered 38,975 job losses, and Germany, where 17,461 people have lost their jobs.

"For the first quarter of 2009, the ERM quarterly has recorded the highest number of announced job losses since it started monitoring restructuring in the EU in 2002," the report said.

The figures mean job losses are now outnumbering job creation in Europe by almost three to one. Eurofound said the report revealed evidence that "the global recession is worsening and deepening".

For the third consecutive quarter, car manufacturers saw the largest number of job losses, with 23,584 jobs being chopped. Other sectors with large restructuring-related job losses were retail (21,740), financial services (16,778) and machinery manufacture (16,432).

The data arrived after BAE Systems announced it was slashing 500 jobs in Britain due to the UK pulling out of Iraq and falling military spending.

The defence group is closing factories in Guildford, Leeds and Telford with the loss of 330 positions. Another 150 employees in Newcastle, Leicester and Barrow will also go, with a further 30 roles being eliminated through efficiency savings.

A BAE spokesman said the company had to make cutbacks to ensure it could remain competitive, at a time when many governments were cutting spending in the economic downturn: "The harsh reality is that there is pressure on budgets, and defence is no exception."